Role for Edith Stein in her own promotion?
pp. 273-282
in: Antonio Calcagno (ed), Edith Stein: women, social- political philosophy, theology, metaphysics and public history, Berlin, Springer, 2016Abstract
The paper sets out the circumstances that placed Edith Stein among a trio of "Co-Patronesses" of Europe, selected by Pope John Paul II late in 1999. After indicating the meaning of "patroness or patron saint" as well as the previous selection of three male patron saints, attention will be paid to the process that lead up to this choice by the pope. The reasons he publicly gave for his gesture will be next commented upon, with special emphasis on Saint Edith Stein. Next, an inventory of texts shows the attention Stein paid in her writings to the other two patronesses, viz., Saints Bridget of Sweden (1303–1373) and Catherine of Siena (1347–1380). Concluding the paper will be some thoughts in the form of a hypothesis as to how the phenomenologist pope from Poland might have relied on his knowledge of Edith Stein to place her alongside the two medieval co-patronesses.
